


Cracks

by xantissa



Series: Bleeding Skies [11]
Category: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-13
Updated: 2012-07-13
Packaged: 2017-11-09 22:02:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/458938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xantissa/pseuds/xantissa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vincent has been hovering on the threshold for years. Eventually he falls. Cloud takes the burn of the fallout. Post AC</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cracks

Cloud could never tell what exactly was it that made him look at Vincent at that very moment. Maybe it was coincidence, maybe it was instinct honed by years of constant fighting, or maybe it was something else, that quiet whisper that gave him tidbits of information, understanding in moments of great need. In the end it didn’t really matter just what it was. Cloud was just grateful, for the warnings it gave him. In that moment, that second it was the reason he saw the minute change in their enigmatic gunman.

Cloud only had a moment, a heartbeat, a second to save them all from being slaughtered.

It happened so suddenly, so randomly it could never be expected. One moment the whole of AVALANCHE was gathered in Seventh Heaven to celebrate Tifa’s birthday, drinking and having fun, and the next all hell broke loose.

Barret, drunk for a while already, got into a shouting match with Cid, as they tended to do when drinking together. Vincent was quietly nursing his glass at the bar, not taking part in the festivities but there nonetheless.

Barret bumped into the gunman a few times, obviously irritating Vincent but at that moment he stumbled into the man with his whole weight, splashing him with his beer.

Drawn by an unexpected urge, Cloud looked towards the pair and saw how Vincent’s own glass shattered under the pressure of clenched fingers, splashing alcohol on the counter. More importantly he saw the red eyes flash golden and glow. In that instant he sensed the sudden change in the air surrounding the ex-Turk, a charge that suggested imminent action rather than the careful nonchalance and control of before.

Cloud knew in that moment, that something in Vincent cracked, something that was unbalanced ever since Chaos had been separated from his soul. Some vital part of him snapped, letting out all the vicious anger the man stifled for so long.

Vincent was going to lash out and the only person capable of surviving the whole burn of Vincent’s rage at the moment was Cloud.

Even before that thought finished running through his mind, Cloud was in action. He pushed away people on his way, not even seeing who they were, too intent on the ex-Turk to care.

The bar was too crowded to move through quickly, so Cloud jumped on the table, barely aware of the shouts and crunch of glass giving way under his boots. His heart was pounding madly. He knew he only had the slimmest chance of getting to the counter before Vincent killed Barret, because that was exactly what the gunman was going to do, judging by the minute shift in body language.

With his heart in his throat, Cloud jumped from table to table, moving fast enough to enter Haste, and landed heavily in front of Vincent.

Without loosing his momentum he fisted both of his hands in the loose cloak Vincent wore and turned to throw the man in the direction of back entrance, where there were currently no people.

Even during the throw he realized his mistakes. One was that Vincent, thanks to his demons, had a very special relationship with gravity. Cloud could feel the weight changing suddenly, the body twisting impossibly in his grip and heading in a slightly different direction than Cloud intended.

 

 

The sudden pain in his hand was blinding but not unexpected was a proof of his second mistake. Cloud forgot that even though Vincent preferred fighting from a distance, his gun a formidable and accurate weapon, it didn’t mean that he couldn’t fight hand to hand. While being a sniper Vincent was scarily effective, in close combat the man was truly... vicious.

Cloud’s grip slipped as the brass claws tore into skin, muscles, ripped tendons apart and gouged the very bone of his forearm. The pain was dizzying, making him lose concentration long enough for Vincent to twist in the air again, still defying all rules of gravity, and land in a careful crouch a few feet in front of Cloud.

The man was crouching low, the brass gauntlet resting on the floor, Cloud’s blood gathering under it in tiny pools. The ex-Turk was still, his red eyes, now shot through with gold were staring intently at Cloud, his red cape moving lightly on a nonexistent breeze. In the sudden hush of the bar, the only thing Cloud could hear besides his own frantic breathing was the low, vicious growl coming from the usually stoic man.

Later, Cloud would find it funny, the expression on Barrets face now splashed with Cloud’s own blood and even bits of torn out flesh. Right now all Cloud could do was keep eye contact with Vincent and grit his teeth against the pain. His fingers kept twitching uncontrollably as all the mako in his blood was frantically working on repairing the damage to his nerves, tendons and muscles.

This fight has just begun.

Cloud could not afford to have this fight to continue here, among people. What he saw in those glowing red eyes was not humanity, but rage more suiting a beast without reason.

* * *

It cost Cloud quite a lot of blood and more than one vicious wound to get Vincent, or rather what used to be Vincent, away from the bar and the city.

It was a difficult fight. Not only was Vincent a very strong opponent, Cloud was also hindered by the fact that he didn’t want to kill or even injure the man.

Man in a very loose sense of the word. Despite Cloud’s expectations Vincent did not turn into one of his limit breaks, instead his form seemed to merge with the Galian beast, his face changed a little, bones too pronounced under the pale skin that now had a bluish tint to it, teeth much too sharp. There were rings of flames framing his forearms and both hands had a set of long, curved, and wickedly sharp claws on them.

Somehow Vincent had incorporated some of the demons characteristics along with it’s instinct. Not once did the ex-Turk try to reach for his gun, which showed clearly just who was driving at the moment.

The air smelled of blood and sweat, but mostly of damp earth and crushed grass. The fragrance was oddly sweet to Cloud, waking up some odd instincts. The blond panted heavily, using most of his weight to keep Vincent’s head crushed to the ground, while he sat on his back and made sure to restrain his arms with his knees.

This was the most that Cloud could do at the moment. The punches he landed on Vincent barely made an impression on the gunman, not to mention knock him out. Cloud was afraid to use his whole strength because he could accidentally kill the man and that would have been unforgivable. So he was reduced to restraining the older man in a position that prevented him from hunting himself or Cloud.

The blond was fairly petrified to discover that his usual adrenaline rush caused by fighting had turned into something else due to prolonged physical contact. Each time the hard, lean body under him squirmed and fought to get free, it rubbed against the blond. After a while, between the scent of flesh and grass, Cloud got blindingly hard. It made him be a little fiercer, a little harsher. His patience was frying quickly, sapped by his shame, fear and irritation.

It didn’t take him long to notice that Vincent also changed his tune. He was still growling and his eyes kept flashing madly, but the signs of change were receding. His face and body looked almost normal, although his fingers still tipped with deadly claws. There was a thin line of fine, short fur that ran the length of his spine, highlighting the tempting groove of his vertebra and almost challenging Cloud to check just how far did the fur go.

Soon the growls changed in nature. No longer threatening they meant something completely different. Led by some instinct, or maybe simple madness, Cloud let go of Vincent’s arms.

Human now, the fingers didn’t reach for a weapon or a piece of Cloud’s flesh. Instead they dug into the freshly turned earth. It gave Vincent enough leverage to move. Not away from Cloud but against him. In one long, sinuous move that seemed so breathtakingly at odds with Vincent’s usual behavior, the gunman undulated under the blond rubbing himself against the SOLDIER in a stunningly inviting matter. The growl sounded almost like a purr this time, with a soft little lilt at the end.

It reverberated through all of Cloud’s body, knocking out all of the rational thought and throwing him deeper into this carnal madness.

Later Cloud could never recall just what he was thinking. All he could remember though the red haze of fighting excitement was sudden, sharp lust that pushed out everything else.

The mere feel of a body under him, alive and warm, at least partially receptive was enough to set his blood on fire.

The way the slim gunman squirmed underneath him, not even trying to escape was all the encouragement he needed. He was blindingly hard in an instant, panting so hard he was sure he was hyperventilating. He grabbed the collar of the already ruined shirt and ripped it apart, from Vincent’s nape and down, exposing the tantalizing line of slim back and interesting markings. Some were from the incomplete transformation, some from the dirt they were both covered it, and some were obviously bruises. With his heightened senses he could already feel the heat of the blood trapped under that pale skin.

He could see the way Vincent’s ribs expanded with every breath and it turned him on even more.

It’s been so damn long since the last time he touched or was touched by anybody without the intent to harm, it made his head spin.

He tangled his hand into the black, messy hair and pushed Vincent’s head down into the grass, left cheek first. The one visible eye was still golden and glowing faintly in the dark. It burned with emotions Cloud couldn’t name. They spoke to him nonetheless, making his breath catch as his cock to become even harder. He had to relieve the pressure, gain release or he was going to lose his mind.

No longer hesitating, no longer even thinking, Cloud let go of Vincent, satisfied with his compliancy and hooked both hands under the waistband if those leather pants.

The gunman, although tall, was always skinny so there was nothing to stop Cloud from pulling the pants right down to Vincent’s knees in one move. The was a startled sound from the man underneath him, but no move to resist, so Cloud didn’t even pause.

Putting his hands on those slim hips, he pulled Vincent’s ass up, making him kneel while his chest was still laying on the fragrant grass.

The line of that scarred back arching into the small, tight ass was at that moment the most beautiful thing Cloud had ever seen. With shaking hands he pulled out his cock, unzipping just enough to get it out. He was so damn hard his hands were shaking.

Pushing in without any preparation or lubrication was damn painful but also the most incredible feeling ever. He could feel the way Vincent shuddered under him and tightened around his member like a vice. Motionless, besides some heavy breathing, that was no other sound coming from the gunman.

Driven by the need he couldn’t even remember experiencing, Cloud couldn’t do anything else than start fucking. Curling himself around the thinner man, both hands clenched tightly on Vincent’s hipbones, he rutted like a damn animal. No thoughts crossed his mind, only this mindless need to come, to fuck, to spend himself into that sinfully tight heat clenched around him.

The way the older man lowered his head, pressing his flushed face to the damp grass made his hair part, exposing the tempting nape of his bare neck.

Driven by the same primal instinct that had him fucking Vincent raw, Cloud stretched over the naked, beautiful back and bit down on the exposed neck.

Hard.

Enough to draw blood.

There was a sound Vincent made, almost a yowl, and clamped down on Cloud so hard the blond couldn’t help but come immediately, shooting his release deep into the gunman.

Everything stilled then, senses started returning to the blond one by one and he became aware of the light drizzle of rain pouring over them, turning the freshly turned earth into mud, of the sounds of the forest around them, and the way Vincent kept shuddering every few seconds.

The dark haired man’s arms once more looked human, one flesh one brass. He was digging them into the soft ground in time with the tremors and panting harshly through half open mouth.

Satiated but still over sensitive, it was both heaven and hell to feel the man clench on his cock with such regularity.

Driven by some instinct he didn’t even know he had, Cloud bit down on the already mauled neck again and reached under that exposed chest.

His partners cock was hard and leaking precome, pressed tightly to his stomach, begging for release. The blond closed his fist around the engorged shaft and started stroking, rough and fast, all the while biting down wherever he could. It took merely a few minutes before Vincent arched sharply and came almost soundlessly, sharp scent of his release filling the air, mingling with Cloud’s own.

* * *

Cloud let the towel he was using to dry himself drop to the floor.

The sound of shower running in the adjacent bathroom was loud enough to obscure the sound of rain pouring outside, but it wasn’t enough to silence the storm inside Cloud’s head.

He let himself sink down to the floor, and sat down leaning on the wall, trying to understand what actually happened.

After they both came back to they senses Vincent pointed out that they needed to clean up before going back to Tifa and the others.

It turned out Vincent had a hideout nearby and offered Cloud a shower. Feeling sheepish, confused, half sated and half aroused again, Cloud accepted.

It seemed that once his body got a taste of release gained by something other than his right hand, it was not going to let go easily. With each step he could smell his come on Vincent, could see the vicious bruises on his neck every time the wind shifted and it made him want to do it all over again.

Eventually the bathroom door opened and Vincent came out. His hair was wet and plastered to his head, Unlike Cloud who was only wearing his pants, Vincent had a new pair of pants and a shirt on, buttoned up to his neck. The cloth was pulling oddly, clinging to patches of still wet skin.

Like Cloud, Vincent was barefoot.

The gunman appeared calm and controlled, like usual. His movements weren’t marred by any hesitance or shame, yet there was something not… right. Vincent was always distant, almost cold to everyone he knew. The only person who actually got close to him was Cid Highwind of all people. Cloud could never wrangle the range of emotion out of Vincent that Cid could but the blond liked to think that they were friends. He understood the older man on a level that none of the others could.

He knew.

So it was a surprise to realize that the reason why Vincent was just that slightest bit odd wasn’t simply because of embarrassment. It was… fear.

“What are you afraid of Vincent?” Cloud asked gently, still sitting on the floor, head titled back against the wall, legs bent in front of him and forearms braced on them. He couldn’t look less threatening if he tried.

The gunman made no move to acknowledge Clouds words, simply sat down on the very edge of the bed and continued to rub his hair dry, letting the mass of tangled hair and towel hide his face. He was silent.

But so was Cloud. The blond understood that sometimes it was hard to express oneself with words. That it could be downright painful.

He wasn’t going to let this matter slide though. It was too important. Back in the bar Vincent could and would have killed anyone in his way, be it friend or foe. If it wasn’t for Cloud’s enhancements, Seventh Heaven would be a bloodbath by now.

The silence stretched long and thin, the rain outside the only sound in the room. Vincent was so quiet Cloud wasn’t even sure the other man was breathing. Even his hands on the towel stilled.

“Tell me why.” Cloud pressed. For all his reluctance to talk, it was inevitable now. Vincent had to explain, had to put this thing into words, acknowledge it. “I already know what you wanted. I just don’t know why.”

And he knew, really.

Even now, calmer, without the adrenaline of battle raging though his system, he could remember in vivid detail the way the older man’s body writhed under him and how his eyes burned. It made him hot all over again, even if he knew it wasn’t really about sex for the other man.

“It was simply about release.” Vincent’s voice was as smooth and low as ever. Funny, Cloud never before realized just how good a liar Vincent could be. As expected from an ex-Turk he supposed.

Cloud sighed and closed his eyes, letting his head fall on his forearms, still braced on his knees in front of him.

“Don’t lie. Please.”

Even though he couldn’t see anything but the insides of his eyelids, Cloud could feel the stillness on the other man, could feel it in every pore of his body.

“It wasn’t about sex. It was about power. You wanted to be dominated, forced and the beast was merely a convenient excuse. Now tell me why.” The blond wasn’t going to let this go or be sidetracked. He could be utterly mortified later.

The next silence felt like eternity with none of them moving, barely breathing. Eventually Vincent shifted, letting his hands fall between his knees and the towel to slip to the floor with the softest of sounds. His long hair, tangled and wet, fell all over his face, completely hiding it.

“My demons... they have... had a structure of power. I couldn’t possibly manage four different sentient beings inside my own head. It would drive me insane. That was one of the reasons Chaos was introduced last. As the strongest entity, he was obeyed by the lesser demons. While he dealt with them I only had to deal with him. That stabilized my condition considerably.”

Cloud shifted a little, tilting his head sideways so that he could watch Vincent from the corner of his eye.

“Now however Chaos is gone and it seems that the remaining demons do not recognize me as someone to control them. For all their power they are very... primitive sometimes.”

“So you wanted me to establish the pecking order, so to say?” Cloud couldn’t resist the little stunned huff at the end of that sentence.

Vincent flinched visibly. An odd thing for the ex-Turk to do.

“Not… consciously. The demons have been acting up lately, making me more irritated than usual, but I had no idea how close to edge I really was.”

The blond lifted his head to look at the window, seeing nothing but a gray wall of rain. But it didn’t matter. His memory, like a broken recorder, kept replaying the expression in Vincent’s burning eyes.

“So what now?” The question felt like a bomb in the otherwise quiet apartment. Loud and destructive.

Vincent made another aborted movement with his hands. The blond had the oddest impression that the older man wanted to wring his hands together.

After a long silence, the gunman finally spoke again:

“It would be best... if you accepted the role. All of my demons agree that you are currently the strongest one of us. They would not dare rebel against you.”

Cloud rubbed his face. Hard.

With a sigh he got up. It was another expectation, however unwilling, placed upon him. Another thing he just couldn’t say no to.

He looked at Vincent. The man was thin but lethal. His body a weapon even without the demons. His hair was long and now hung in wet strands around his face, hiding it.

Even now, a lot calmer and saner, Cloud couldn’t really forget how damn hot the man was when panting and groaning under him, all heat and desire. That whipcord body twisting invitingly and those red eyes burning with desire, with want Cloud couldn’t really remember ever seeing directed at him. To his shame, he was already hard again.

Now that his body learned pleasure that came from sex, no matter how rushed and hard, it was not going to let go easily. He really didn’t have a choice here.

“There are going to de conditions.” Cloud said as calmly as he could muster, his voice barely above whisper to hide just how shaky it really was.

Vincent shifted, but didn’t raise his head.

“One. I will not hurt you during sex again.” That was ultimate statement. Cloud would not use his strength like that again. Never.

Vincent tensed.

“The demons…” the gunman started, unsure how to express that the creatures were beasts in essence, creatures of flesh and carnality. They would not understand words.

“Don’t worry. I’ll deliver the message. But I’ll do it on my terms or not at all.” The blond was calm and sure. His instincts told him that it was true, that he could do it by means other than outright violence.

After a while Vincent nodded, his face still hidden.

“Two. You will never let things get this bad again.” This time the nod came quicker.

Cloud turned towards the window and started pulling the blinds down.

“Strip.” He said calmly, ruthlessly forcing the tremble out of his voice.

Vincent needed this, now, and as he stalled with the blinds as long as possible listening to the sounds of the other man undressing, Cloud thought that maybe he needed this too. It was such a long time since he was touched outside of battle, he suspected it was the same for Vincent.

Hojo tended to kill one’s sex drive quite proficiently.

The room was pitch black now, quiet but for the sound of rain beating tirelessly against the window. Vincent was breathing so shallowly he couldn’t even hear him. But his enhanced senses found the darkness as no obstacle at all. He could clearly see Vincent perched on the bed again, head lowered with hair hiding most of his face, naked. The multiple scars were barely visible in darkness, merely shadows of oddly textured skin.

He was aware he was hard for all the time they were talking but now it kind of hit him head on. His cock throbbed helplessly in his pants and his breath shortened. He was so damn starved for sex it made his head spin. Funny, but he didn’t even know he missed it until he was face to face with it again.

Unfastening his own pants he let them fall to the floor and stepped out of them with clear resolve in his heart.

It was Vincent, one of the few people that understood him. He needed it. So Cloud was going to enjoy this and make Vincent enjoy it too, even if he had to force the pleasure down his throat.

 

End.


End file.
